The FCS is down to their Elite Eight and it has been an intriguing playoffs so far. There are more teams east of the Mississippi still alive than many may have thought before the playoffs began. It seems like a great time to assess where everyone is heading into the chase for a semi final spot. We know that South Dakota State sits atop the mountain waiting for all comers but where do the rest of the teams fall.
1. The Jacks
After a 41-0 beatdown of a quality Mercer program South Dakota State served notice that they were not taking this march to Frisco lightly. The defense held one of the better offenses in the SoCon to 151 total yards even with many of their starters on the bench. Veteran running backs Isaiah Davis and Amar Johnson both eclipsed 100 yards rushing and sophomore Angel Johnson added an 80-yard touchdown run to safe measures. Villanova is up next on the Jackrabbit express to Frisco Saturday at Noon ET.
2. The Griz
Montana was almost as impressive as South Dakota in their 49-19 victory over Delaware. Quarterback Clifton McDowell continued his rock solid play completing timely passes while also being a legitimate threat to run. His three total touchdowns paced the offense and on defense the defense was “bend but don’t break" and eventually suffocated the Blue Hens. The Griz face Furman next as they look to take out another East Coast foe. Montana may have the toughest matchup of the weekend. Kickoff is set for Friday at 9pm ET
3. The Bison
North Dakota State survived in overtime against a very game Montana State team and Touchdown Tommy Mellott who accounted for 355 yards and four touchdowns in the loss. Senior running back TaMerik Williams was the star for the Bison. He carried the ball 11 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison won the game despite only completing six passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Next they will travel to the University of South Dakota for a Missouri Valley Football Conference rematch. They will clash once again Saturday at 2:30 ET.
4. The Coyotes
South Dakota got the job done against Sacramento State last week. ‘Yotes quarterback Aidan Bouman was dialed in. He finished the game 11-16 174 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Pierre Jr had 13 carries for 123 yards as they took the sting out of the Hornets 34-24. It is out of the frying pan and into the fire for South Dakota as they welcome North Dakota State for the second time this season. They will try to best the Bison twice in one season, something only a couple teams have been able to accomplish over the years. They'll welcome them again Saturday at 2:30 ET.
5. The Great Danes
The Great Danes magical ride continues. The more they win, the more confidence they gain. They disposed of Richmond without much effort. Albany had a balanced offensive performance. Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns in the win. Senior defensive back Bill Hackett intercepted a Kyle Wickersham pass and went 71 yards the other way for a touchdown and Aamir Hall was able to intercept his former team as well. Albany will head west to Idaho to try and take a bite out of the Vandals kickoff is set for Saturday at 10pm ET
6. The Paladins
Furman junior kicker Ian Williams went 4-4 on field goals against Chattanooga and they beat the Mocs 26-7. This game was dominated by the defense who only surrendered 200 yards of total offense and picked off the Chattanooga quarterbacks twice. The offense was not operating on maximum efficiency as both quarterback Tyler Huff and Dominic Roberto were returning from injury. So it is a good sign that the offense still produced 26 points. They will travel to Montana to take on the Griz which should be a really good match on a Friday night at 9pm ET.
7. The Vandals
Idaho was fortunate to get out of the Kibbie Dome with a 20-17 overtime victory last week against Southern Illinois. The Vandals junior receiver Hayden Hatten was great against a really good Saluki defense. He hauled in six receptions for 111 yards. The defense gave up over 300 yards of offense but only allowed two touchdowns. This week they will be facing a super hot Albany squad who has not tasted defeat in quite some time. That should be a fantastic game at home Saturday at 10pm ET.
8. The Wildcats
Villanova had a very good performance against Youngstown State defeating the Penguins 45-28. It was a balanced performance on offense as quarterback COnnor Watkins threw for 275 yards and touchdown while also rushing for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jalen Jackson led the way on the ground, carrying the ball 11 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The defense will need to be much more stout and the special teams will need to be special if they want to pull off the massive upset of the top-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits. It will be a tall task. Kickoff is set for high noon Saturday.